Device for stacking and mounting paper sheets



June 13, 1967 L.. LEVKO 3,324,858

DEVICE FOR STACKING AND MOUNTING PAPER SHEETS Filed Aug. 8, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR LEO LEVKO AT TORNE Y.

DEVICE FOB STACKING AND MOUNTING PAPER SHEETS Filed Aug. 8, 1966 L. LEVKO June 13, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n [L Elli v v mm I 4 T M .w 7 6 a F v M 4 l m of m w m 6 w ATTOR 3,324,858 DEVICE FOR STACKING AND MOUNTING PAPER SHEETS Leo Levko, 146 W. 79th St., New York, N.Y. 10024 Filed Aug. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 573,777 11 Claims. (Cl. 129-7) This application contains subject matter identical to that disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 501,629, filed Oct. 22, 1965, and constitutes a continuation-in-part thereof.

This invention relates to improvements in devices utilized to holding and stacking sheets of paper such as memoranda, invoices, bills and the like, and in particular relates to a novel and improved paper spike. Memoranda holders of the paper spike type usually comprise a base having an upstanding fixed spike thereon. The spike is provided with a pointed end to facilitate piercing of a paper sheet so that a plurality of paper sheets may be mounted on the spike in a stacked arrangement. Normally, the sheets of paper are forced onto the spike by the hand of the operator. However, this method of mounting the paper sheets is extremely hazardous because the sharp spike is fully exposed and can easily penetrate or stab the operators hand. This type of accident particularly tends to occur where the sheets of paper are rapidly mounted on the spike, as where checks are stacked by a cashier. Another disadvantage associated with conventional paper spikes is that the point of the spike does not pierce each sheet at the same location. Thus, those sheets impaled near the edge are inclined to tear and fall off the spike, resulting in their loss or mutilation.

An object of the present invention is to provide a paper holding device for impaling and stacking paper sheets wherein the possibility of accidental damage to the opera tors hand is completely eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holder for paper sheets which accurately and automatically positions the sheets on a pointed post in such a manner that tearing of the sheets substantially is eliminated, and accidental removal of the sheets from the post is rendered impossible.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for holding and stacking sheets of paper such as memoranda, invoices and the like which is simple in construction and which is easy to operate.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paper holding device made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the upper portion of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are partial side elevational views of the device shown in FIG. 1, illustrating the sequential operation of the device;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a modified form of rotatable member which may be used in the paper holding device;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational viewof a further modified form of rotatable member according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a front elevational view of the rotatable member shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational'view of a modified form of paper holder made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a modified embodiment of a post constructed according to the present invention; and

FIG. 11 is a front elevational view of a further modi- United States Patent 0 "ice fied form of the rotatable member adapted for use in conjunction with the post shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of another modified form of paper holding device made in accordance with the present invention, taken along line ill-12 of FIG. 14;

FIG. 13 is a side elevational view of the paper holding device of FIG. 12, but showing the drum member tilted out of engagement with the paper spike;

FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of the paper holding device of FIG. 10 with the parts in upright operative position;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged partial section taken along line 15-15 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged front elevational view of the drum portion of the device of FIG. 12, with portions thereof broken away to reveal inner constructional detail, and

FIG. 17 is a section taken along line 1717 of FIG. 14.

A first embodiment of a paper holder constructed in accordance with the present invention is designated generally by the numeral 10 in FIG. land includes a blocklike base 12 having a top wall 14, side walls 16 and 18 and end Walls 15 and 17. The base 12 may be constructed of wood, plastic or other rigid material. Connected to each of the side walls 16 and 18 by screws 20 is a respective support plate 22. The support plates 22 include opposed upstanding legs 24 upstanding from the top wall 14 and spaced from the end wall 15 of the base 12. Provided in the legs 24, adjacent the top edge thereof, are aligned through bores 26 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 1). A shaft 28 extends through the bores 26-, the ends of the shaft 23 being swaged (FIG. 2) to maintain the shaft in mounted position between legs 24.

A rotatable member, in the form of a cylindrical drum 30 having a peripheral wall 32, is provided with an axial bore through which the shaft 28 extends, such that the drum 30 is rotatably mounted between arms 24 of base 12. Provided in the peripheral wall 32 is a radially-extending, paper-receiving notch 34. The notch 34 terminates short of the center of the drum 30. Similarly provided in the peripheral wall 32 is a cent-rally located circular groove 36 which intersects the notch 34. The groove 36 is coaxial with the drum 30.

Pivotally mounted on the top wall 14 of the base 12- is an upstanding post 38 having a pointed upper end 40 and an integral supporting base 42. The supporting base 42 includes an arm 44 which extends laterally towardthe side Wall 16 of the base 12, a cross-arm 46 which is perpendicular to arm 44 and extends parallel to the side wall 16, an arm 48 extending parallel to the arm 44 in spaced relation thereto, and a bent terminal arm 50. The

rounded bights of a pair of spaced staples 52 rotatably engage the arm 48 to pivotally mount the post 38 upon the base 12, as shown in FIG. 1.

The post 38 is positioned on the base 12 that when the post is in a normal upright position parallel to the base top wall 14, with the supporting base 42 in intimate conand remote from said drum (FIG. 5). A' clamp 54 is.

tact with the top wall 14, the pointed tip 40 of the post will be received in the groove 36 and spaced wellinwardly of the outer end of the notch 34. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, the groove 36 is sized that the post' 38 will be spaced between the walls defining the groove 36,

so that the post can easily slide into and out of' said groove. Additionally, the pivotally-mounted arm 48 permits the post 38 to be turned away from drum 39 to a second position wherein the upper end 40 is outside of 3 is free to be pivoted to the second position shown in FIG. 5.

A reinforcing plate 58 is mounted on the upper surface of the notch 34, as viewed in FIGS. 1-4, by cementing or other means of attachment. The plate 58 extends across the groove 36 and is spaced inwardly from the pointed tip 40 of the post 38 when the post is in the normal upright position. Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 3-4, the upper section of the post 38 may be curved inwardly toward the center of drum 30.

In operation, the post 38 is locked in the upright position of FIG. 1 by the clamp 54. The drum 30 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 60 in FIGS .1 and 3 until the notch 34 is spaced above the end of the post 38, and a sheet of paper P is inserted into the notch 34, as shown in FIG. 3, until it engages the end of said notch. The drum 30 is then rotated in the direction of the arrow 60 whereupon the upper surface of the notch 34, engages the sheet P and forces the sheet downwardly onto the post 38. Accordingly, the upper pointed end 40 of the post 38 pierces the sheet P to impale the latter on said post. The reinforcing plate 58 prevents the sheet P from bending or tearing by maintaining the end portion of the sheet substantially flat.

Continued rotation of the drum 30 moves the notch 34 downwardly along post 38, so that said notch. carries the sheet downwardly on the post until the notch moves out of registry with post 38 and leaves the sheet P mounted on said post as shown in FIG. 4. In practice, the top portion of the post 38 may be made with a larger diameter than the remainder of the post so that the sheets of paper received thereon will easily slide to the bottom of the post after they leave the notch 34. Moreover, a ratchet or similar mechanism may be incorporated between the drum 30 and the shaft 28 so that the drum can be rotated in only the direction designated by the arrow 60.

The operation described above may be repeated successively for a plurality of sheets of paper P, whereupon the device of the present invention will mount and automatically stack the sheets in a neat pile, as shown in FIG. 5. Where it is desired to remove the impaled sheets of paper P, the clamp 54 is turned to the release position and the post 38 is pivoted to the second position shown in FIG. 5. The mounted sheets of paper P may then be slid upwardly over the exposed pointed end 40 of the post 38. After the sheets are removed, the post is pivoted back to its first or upright position and the clamp 54 is turned to the holding position, whereupon the device 10 is again ready for use.

It will be appreciated that in the normal operating condition of the device 10, the pointed tip 40 of the post 38 is always within the body of the rotatable drum 30 so that it is covered thereby and not exposed to accidental engagement with the users hand. The mounting of paper sheets upon the post 38 is easily accomplished by the simple rotation of the drum 30 and results in the piercing of all the paper sheets at the same distance from the edges thereof, so that the sheets are automatically mounted on the post and arranged in a neat stack thereon. Further, since the upper end of the post is always covered over by the drum, the mounted sheets cannot become accidentally detached, as in the presence of a strong breeze.

FIG. 6 illustrates a modified type of rotatable member in the form of a drum 130 which may be used in conjunction with the device shown in FIG. 1. The drum 130 is similar in construction to the drum 30 with the exception that the drum 130 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially-spacecl paper receiving notches 134. In the example illustrated, four equally spaced notches are shown. Received in each of the notches 134 is a reinforcing plate 158 similar to the reinforcing plate 58. The drum 130 is used in the same manner as the drum 30; however, the drum 130 may be advantageously used in those instances in which a large number of sheets are 4 to be quickly mounted on the post 38. That is, the drum 130 is adapted to mount four times as many sheets of paper on the post per revolution than does the drum 30.

Another modified form of rotatable member which may be used instead of the drum 30 is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and is designated generally by the numeral 230. The member 230 is substantially segmental in shape and is provided with a peripheral wall 232. The member 230 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 28. As shown in FIG. 7, a paper receiving notch 234 extends inwardly from the wall 232 and terminates inwardly of the post 38. Moreover, the member 230 is provided with a peripheral groove 236 which intersects the notch. 234, but which terminates below the top wall of the member 230. As with the drum 30, the member 230 is provided with a reinforcing plate 258 mounted within the notch 234 and extending across the groove 236. It is to be noted that the member 230 is not a true segment of a circle because the portion of the member below the notch 234 has a smaller radius than the portion of the member above the notch. The member 230 may be operated in the same manner as the member 30 for the purpose of impaling sheets of paper upon the post 38.

Another embodiment constructed according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 and includes spaced parallel posts 338 which lie in a common plane. The posts 338 are connected by an integral supporting base 342 including outwardly extending arms 344, side arms 346 and 350, and an end arm 348 which is spaced from and parallel to the arms 344. The arm 348 is adapted to be rotatably connected to the base 12 by staples or the like, in the same manner as the arm 48 in the embodiment of FIG. 1, to pivotally mount the posts 338 on the top wall 14. Also provides is a drum 330 having a pcripheral wall 332. The drum 330 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 28 and provided with a radially extending notch 334 similar to the notch 34 in the drum 30. In this instance, the drum 330 is also provided with axially-spaced circular grooves 336 in the peripheral wall 332 positioned to receive-the respective posts 338 therein. As shown in FIG. 11, both grooves 336 intersect the notch 334. Moreover, the notch 334 is provided with a reinforcing plate 358, similar to the plate 58, to prevent bending or tearing of the sheets of paper. The apparatus shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 operates in the same manner as does the device shown in FIG. 1 with the exception that the sheets of paper will be pierced by and mounted on two posts rather than one.

FIG. 9 shows a further modified form of device made in accordance with the present invention and constructed to mount the paper sheets upon a horizontally-disposed post or spike rather than a vertical one. This device 410 includes support legs 424 (one of which is shown) mounted in upstanding position upon an elongated base 412 and rotatably supporting the drum 30: spaced from the support legs 424 and mounted upon the opposite end of base 412 is a post 413. Pivotally mounted upon the post support 413 is a post or spike 438. A stop 417 extends laterally from the post support 413 toward the drum 30 and limits the downward movement of the post 438 below the horizontal position shown in FIG. 9 in which the post is substantially parallel to the base 412. In this position, the pointed top of post 438 will be received in the groove 36 in spaced relation to the end of the notch 34. Thus, rotation of the drum 30 in the direction indicated by the arrow 460 will cause a sheet of paper received in the notch 34 to be mounted on the post 438 in the same manner previously described. The mounted sheets of paper P may either be pushed manually toward the' post support 413, or each succeeding sheet when mounted will automatically push the previously mounted stacking of sheets toward said support 413.

When it is desired to remove the sheets of paper P i from the post 438, the post is pivoted to a vertical position and the sheets of paper are removed therefrom.

FIGS. 12-17 illustrate a further embodiment of the present invention, wherein the post or spike is immovably mounted on the base and the support structure for the rotatable drum is pivotally mounted on the base. In this instance, for the release of mounted sheets of paper, the drum is pivoted away from the pointed end of the post or spike, rather than vice versa.

As shown in FIG. 12, the modified device 510 includes a base 512 which may be molded of a rigid plastic in the hollow form shown with a solid central block 514 having a rectangular well 516 therein. The upper surface of the well 516 is bordered by a front wall 518 and opposed side walls 520, which walls are upstanding from the top surface of the base 512, as shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 17.

Mounted on the base 512, within the rectangular well 516 thereof, is a support member 522 comprising a hollow rectangular body member 523, preferably molded of the same rigid plastic as the base 512. At its top end, a pair of spaced upstanding legs 524 are molded integrally with the body member 523. A pair of inwardly-facing and aligned stub shafts 528 are formed on the inner surfaces of the respective legs 524 adjacent the top ends thereof, as best seen in FIG. 16.

The device 510 includes a rotary member in the form of a cylindrical drum 530 which is generally similar to the drum 130 shown in FIG. 6 and previously described, except that in this instance, the drum 530 is molded from plastic in the hollow form shown in FIGS. 12 and 16. The drum 530 has an annular central hub 531 and a peripheral wall 532, through which extend four equallyspaced paper receiving notches 534. As shown in FIG. 12, each paper receiving notch 534 also extends through'the central hub 531 and terminates inwardly thereof, so that the hub 531 in this instance performs the function of the reinforcing plate 58 previously described. That is to say, when a sheet of paper is inserted fully into any one of the notches 532, the drum surfaces bordering the notch maintain the end portion of the inserted sheet flat, preventing the sheet from bending or tearing as it engages the pointed end of the post or spike 538.

The opposite sides of the drum 530 are provided with respective, aligned bores 526 sized to receive the stub shafts 528 of the legs 524, as shown in FIG. 16, so that the drum is rotatably mounted between said legs 524. Since the legs 524 are slightly flexible, they may be spread apart suificiently to permit the drum 530 to be inserted therebetween, so that the stub shafts 528 enter the bores 526.

The central block 514 of base 512 is also formed with a circular vertical bore 542 sized to receive the bottom end of the post or spike 538, which has a pointed top end 540. The spike 538 fits tightly within the bore 542 so that it is frictionally retained therein during use of the device. In its mounted position, the pointed end 540 of post 538 is received within the central circular groove 536 of drum 530, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 14.

As previously indicated, means are provided for pivotally mounting the support member 522 on the base 512. For this purpose, the central block 514 of base 512 is provided with a pair of spaced, aligned vertical slots 544, offset laterally from the sides of the rectangular Well 516 and registering therewith. The slots 544 continue upward into respective small rectangular blocks 546 which are formed integrally with the upper surface of the base 512 and are upstanding therefrom. The blocks 546 cover over the upper ends of slots 544, as shown in FIG. 15.

The support member body 523 has a pair of integral, laterally-projecting pivot pins 548 at the bottom ends thereof, which pins 548 fit slidably within the respective slots 544. Also formed integrally with the body 523 are a pair of opposed side flanges 550 which project laterally from the sides of the body member 523 and terminate at points spaced above the pivot pins 548. These lateral 6 flanges 550 serve not only to rigidity the hollow body portion 523, but also form shoulders 552 at their bottom ends, which support the body 523 in upstanding position.

The device 510 is intended to be packaged and supplied to the user in knock-down condition, that is, with the support member 522 and mounted drum 530 separated from the base 512, and the post or spike 538 also separated from the base. In this way, the aforementioned parts may be packaged flat for shipment.

To assemble the device, the spike 538 is press-fit into the base bore 542, where it is frictionally retained in rigid position. The support member 522 is then tilted so that its pivot pins 548 may be inserted in the vertical slots 544, and the support member is then brought to an upright position and pressed downwardly into the rectangular well 516 to its normally mounted position of FIGS. 12 and 14. In this position, the lower portion of body member 523 fits substantially snugly within the well 516, restingupon the bottom surface thereof, and the shoulders 552' of flanges 550 overlie and rest upon the top surfaces of the blocks 546. The support member 522 is thus rigidly supported in upright operative position, and cannot tilt relative to the base 512. To further retain the support member in this upright position, a pair of retaining pins 554 project laterally from the sides of body member 523, the pins 554 being spaced above the respective pivot pins 548. In the upright operative position of the support member 522, the retaining pins 554 snap into the vertical slots 544. This snap fit releasably locks the support member 522 in its upstanding operative position of FIG. 1, the retaining pins 554 engaging the top walls of slots 544 and preventing the support member from being accidentally lifted or tilted.

The device 510 is operated in the same manner as the embodiments previously described, for impaling paper sheets upon the spike 538. Thus, a sheet of paper is inserted into any one of the notches 534, and the drum 530 rotated until the notch carries the sheet into contact with the pointed end of the spike, which impales the sheet.

To remove impaled sheets from the post or spike 538, the support member 522 is raised in a vertical direction until the retaining pins 554 snap out of the slots 544, and the pivot pins 548 slide upwardly in said slots 544 until they reach the top end thereof. At this point, the bottom end of the support member body 523 has been raised above the top of well 516, as indicated in broken line in FIG. 15. The support member 522 can now be turned away from pin 538, as shown in FIG. 13, by means of the pivot provided by the pins 548 at the top of slots 544. The drum 530 is thus moved away from the tip of post 538, and stacked papers may be readily removed from the latter.

It is to be understood that instead of being pivotally mounted, as shown as described, the support member may be slidably mounted on the base or made removable from the base for uncovering the free end of the post or spike so that papers may be removed therefrom. Alternatively, the post may be uncovered by mounting the drum 530 removably on the support member.

While preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious that numerous omissions, changes and additions may be made in such embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

What I claim is:

1. A paper holder comprising a base, a support member mounted on said base, a rotatable member rotatably carried by said support member and having a peripheral wall, said rotatable member being provided with a paper receiving notch which extends radially inwardly from said peripheral wall, an annular groove in said peripheral wall which is perpendicular to and intersects said notch, a post having a pointed end which is carried by and extends upwardly from said base with the pointed end thereof disposed within said groove whereby rotation of said rotatable member causes a paper inserted into said notch to be pierced by the pointed end of said post and to be forced downwardly on said post and out of said groove, said support member and said post being mounted on said base for relative movement with respect to each other for cating said pointed end of said post outside of said groove and remote from said rotatable member to uncover the pointed end of said post whereby to permit the removal of paper from said post.

2. A paper holder comprising a base, a support member mounted on said base, a rotatable member rotatably mounted on said support member and having a peripheral wall, a paper-receiving notch in said rotatable member extending inwardly from said peripheral wall, a groove in the peripheral wall of said rotatable member intersecting said notch, and a post member mounted on said base and having a pointed end, one of said post members and support members being movable relative to the other member between a first position wherein the pointed end of said post is slidably received in said groove so that rotation of the rotatable member causes said post to pierce and receive a paper received in said paper receiving notch, and a second position wherein the pointed end of said post is located outside of said groove and remote from said member, whereby papers received on said post may be removed therefrom.

3. A paper holder according to claim 2 in which said rotatable member comprises a drum, and said notch extends radially inwardly from the peripheral wall.

4. A paper holder according to claim 3 in which said drum has a peripheral wall and a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial notches extending inwardly from said peripheral wall, and in which said groove intersects said plurality of notches.

5. A paper holder according to claim 2 in which said rotatable member comprises a partially segmental member having a peripheral wall and a top wall, said groove in the peripheral wall of said rotatable member intersecting 8 the notch in said peripheral wall and terminating below said top wall.

6. A paper holder according to claim 2 in which said post member is mounted on said base for movement relative to said rotatable member between said first position and said second position, and in which said base includes means for releasably maintaining said post member in said first position.

7. A paper holder according to claim 6 which includes means for pivotally mounting said post member on said base.

8. A paper holder according to claim 2 in which said support member is movably mounted on said base for movement relative to said post member between said first and second positions.

9. A paper holder according to claim 3 in which said support member is mounted on said base for movement thereof and the drum carried thereby relative to said post member between said first position and said second position, and in which said base includes means for releasably maintaining said support member in said first position.

10. A paper holder according to claim 9 in which said support member is pivotally mounted on said base.

11. A paper holder according to claim 2 in which said rotatable member has a peripheral wall provided with a plurality of spaced grooves and said paper receiving notch intersects said plurality of grooves, and in which a post is provided for each of said grooves.

References Cited,

UNITED STATES PATENTS 294,214 2/1884 Fish 129-7 X 989,210 4/1911 Ullom 1297 2,116,369 5/1938 Stolp 1297 X 2,879,773 3/ 1959 Miyakawa 1297 X JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A PAPER HOLDER COMPRISING A BASE, A SUPPORT MEMBER MOUNTED ON SAID BASE, A ROTATABLE MEMBER ROTATABLY CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND HAVING A PERIPHERAL WALL, SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH A PAPER RECEIVING NOTCH WHICH EXTENDS RADIALLY INWARDLY FROM SAID PERIPHERAL WALL, AN ANNULAR GROOVE IN SAID PERIPHERAL WALL WHICH IS PERPENDICULAR TO AND INTERSECTS SAID NOTCH, A POST HAVING A POINTED END WHICH IS CARRIED BY AND EXTENDS UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE WITH THE POINTED END THEREOF DISPOSED WITHIN SAID GROOVE WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER CAUSES A PAPER INSERTED INTO SAID NOTCH TO BE PIERCED BY THE POINTED END OF SAID POST AND TO BE FORCED DOWNWARDLY ON SAID POST AND OUT OF SAID GROOVE, SAID SUPPORT MEMBER AND SAID POST BEING MOUNTED ON SAID BASE FOR RELATIVE MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER FOR LOCATING SAID POINTED END OF SAID POST OUTSIDE OF SAID GROOVE AND REMOTE FROM SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER TO UNCOVER THE POINTED END OF SAID POST WHEREBY TO PERMIT THE REMOVAL OF PAPER FROM SAID POST. 